Cosmetic procedures now available on the high street

By:
Roger Stevens

Cosmetic procedures are now available in the British high street chemist, Boots, which launched the services on a trial basis in four stores recently--two in London (Kensington and Oxford Street), Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire, and Manchester. The procedures available are for facial rejuvenation--Botox injection of forehead frown lines and crow's feet (from £200) and injections of hyaluronic acid for lip enhancement (from £230) and facial contouring (from £180).

Botox is the brand name for botulinum toxin A--a neurotoxin produced by Clostridium botulinum, which is responsible for botulism, a fatal form of food poisoning associated with vomiting and muscle paralysis. After direct injection into the wrinkles, botulinum toxin inhibits the release of acetylcholine, thereby blocking neurotransmission and paralysing the underlying facial muscle to smooth the wrinkles. Botox treatment has gained popularity in both Hollywood and the United Kingdom and famous people such as Sir Cliff Richard have admitted to benefiting from